And Some Expressions Of Approval For It

The Ss And Conscription

CHICAGO — The discussion about President Reagan`s visit to Germany and his intention to see a war cemetery and concentration camp seems to get irrational. No doubt there are feelings on both sides which we should respect, but we must stay with the truth. Those who argue on the basis of their textbook knowledge of history and not of first-hand experience should hold back with their views, because they are not quite correct.

The example of a few SS men`s graves among thousands of other German soldiers who died during the last phase of World War II is only one item in this heated discussion. It is true that the SS was responsible for many atrocities, but during the last months of the war, the ``Waffen-SS`` (army branch of the SS) recruited heavily among the students of the Gymnasium

(secondary school), and even pressed many young men into service against their will. If I had been just one year older, I might have ended up with that uniform and a gun in my hand, and my parents, who were fervent anti-Nazis, could not have done a thing about or against it!